FILM FESTIVALS LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL ECONOMIES Module

FILM FESTIVALS, LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL ECONOMIES Module A: Festivals strategies and relations system

This Module: Festivals Identity, Marketing and Relations • What are Film Festivals and what is their story • Identity as a pre-condition for marketing and communication • Film Festival Marketing Plan • Focus on SWOT • The local environment: identifying stakeholders • Residents, elected officials and institutions, business community, AV professionals

A (very) short History of Film Festivals • Almost 40 years between the first public screening of a film (Lumière Bros. at the Grand Café in Paris – 1895) and first Film Festival (Venice 1932) • Since the beginning Festival are rooted in (and influenced by) history and politics • Examples: Mussolini and the Venice Festival, Cannes as “anti-fascist” Festival; Cold War and Berlin FF • Since the beginning Festival are in the middle of local commercial and tourism promotion issues (Cannes/Biarritz, the Venice Lido decadence) • Since the beginning they are (also) tools of promotion for the Film industry • ’ 60 s protests • ’ 80 s/’ 90 s globalization and specialization

Some figures • Estimated 10, 000 Film Festivals in the world (excluding the very small and very local) • 4, 000 in Europe • 46 FIAPF accredited International Film Festivals

A useful definition (Cindy Hing-Yuk Wong) • Film Festivals are sites of Government investment, sponsorships, contacts, creative knowledge…of creation of artistic, commercial and political webs”

Film Festival Marketing Plan • • Overview The market landscape Positioning SWOT analysis Specific objectives Brand strategy Marketing Campaign Actions, deadlines and budgets • Social media (to other Module)

Market Overview • Where the event is • Where it would like to go • How does it intend to go there

Positioning • • • The way you present what you are offering Communicating the “feel” and main benefits Benefits: - reputation of the event - key program elements - special interest areas - kind of experience offered - “silver bullet” : unique element (!) - compare to other events

Branding • Achieved through logo and publicity materials • To be reflected in each element of the marketing campaign to reinforce message and image and so to create awareness and recognition • Long term thinking: the logo will withstand the passing of time and the possible changes in the Festival nature? • Poster: a good idea to involve young artists. Professional relationship is expected

Marketing Campaign (source BFI) To be done in an integrated way Identifying objectives Identify market segments/target audiences Time schedule and involvement of all parties (designers, printers, sponsors, etc. ) • Methods of promotion (print, web, press and media) • Distribution of materials • Monitoring • •

SWOT ANALYSIS What is it and why can be useful: • Multidimensional tool for strategic analysis and decision making tool • Identifies a company/organization/event internal factors (strenghts and weaknesses) and the external factors of its environment (opportunities and threats) • Allows to prioritize factors according to expected, positive (S&O) or negative (W&T) impact • Assess the current situation of an organization or event in a forwardlooking way • Allows quick analysis and fast and effective presentations of the current status

SWOT Analysis Matrix

SWOT ANALYSIS for Festivals S • • • Things your Festival does well Qualities that define the Festival face to other events Internal resources (skilled staff) W • • • Things your Festival lacks Things other events do better Resources limitations

SWOT ANALYSIS for Festivals O • Fewer competitors (other events closures, etc. ) • Emerging needs for your type of Festivals • Good press/media coverage of your Festival T • • Emerging competiton Changing regulatory/political environment Changing audience attitudes Negative press coverage

SWOT ANALYSIS Festival Example

SWOT Analysis Film Festival Example Far East Film Festival (Udine – ITALY) -1 S W • Location • Financial supporters and sponsors • Tourist accomodation infrastructure • Human resources • Deep knowledge of local area and of potential target audience • Proposing films from a lesser known movie culture and industry • Economic Resources • Parking

SWOT Analysis Film Festival Example Far East Film Festival (Udine – ITALY) - 2 O T • Offer of historic and artistic attractions in the area • Cooperation with tourism organizations • National and International guests • Networking with other Festival organizations • High Technological level • Public Transportation • Opening hours of bars and restaurants • Competiion from commercial movie releases

SWOT CREATING EXERCISE